Burning fossil fuels is the leading cause of which environmental issue?

Burning fossil fuels is the leading cause of which environmental issue?

• A. Global warming
• B. Global cooling
• C. Ozone layer enhancement
• D. Snow cover loss

Answer: (A)

Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. This extra trapped heat raises the planet’s average surface temperature, which is what we call global warming. The other options don’t fit as the primary cause: cooling would require removing heat, not adding it; the ozone layer is driven mainly by different pollutants (and the issue is depletion rather than enhancement); and snow cover loss is a consequence of warming, not the root cause. So the leading environmental issue caused by burning fossil fuels is global warming.

Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. This extra trapped heat raises the planet’s average surface temperature, which is what we call global warming. The other options don’t fit as the primary cause: cooling would require removing heat, not adding it; the ozone layer is driven mainly by different pollutants (and the issue is depletion rather than enhancement); and snow cover loss is a consequence of warming, not the root cause. So the leading environmental issue caused by burning fossil fuels is global warming.